Which pizza is the better deal?
Two mediums or one large? Enter both options. Add prices to see the cost per square inch.
Comparison tool
Why bigger pizzas are usually cheaper per bite
Pizza is sold by diameter but eaten by area. Because area grows with the square of the diameter, a few extra inches add a lot of pizza. A 16-inch pizza is only a third wider than a 12-inch, but it has 78% more pizza on it.
Prices rarely rise that fast. A shop's costs are mostly labor, the box and the oven time, which are about the same for any size, so the extra dough and cheese on a bigger pizza are sold cheaply.
What the crust option does
The outer inch of a pizza is bare crust. If your table leaves the crusts, tick the box and the tool compares only the topped area. That favors bigger pizzas even more, because a small pizza is a higher share crust.
When smaller pizzas make sense
- A deal makes two mediums cheaper per square inch than one large. Check with the tool above.
- You want different toppings and the shop does not do half-and-half.
- Someone needs their own pizza for an allergy or diet.
- You like crust. Small pizzas have more edge for their size.
Planning for a group? The party calculator tells you how many pizzas to order, and the size chart lists every size.
Questions about comparing pizzas
Are two medium pizzas bigger than one large?
Usually yes. Two 12-inch mediums total 226 square inches, while one 14-inch large is 154 and one 16-inch is 201. Two mediums beat a single large on quantity, so the deal depends on price.
Which pizza size is the best value?
The largest size on the menu, in nearly every case. Divide each price by the pizza's area to be sure. The lowest price per square inch wins.
How do you compare pizza prices fairly?
Divide the price by the area in square inches. The lower price per square inch is the better deal, whatever the sizes are called.
Is one 18 inch pizza more than two 12 inch pizzas?
Yes. One 18-inch pizza is 254 square inches. Two 12-inch pizzas total 226. The single 18-inch has 13% more pizza.
Are three medium pizzas more than two large?
Three 12-inch mediums total 339 square inches. Two 14-inch larges total 308, and two 16-inch pizzas total 402. So three mediums beat two 14-inch larges but lose to two 16-inch pizzas.
Does crust change the comparison?
A little. Smaller pizzas have more crust for their size, so a bigger pizza gives you a slightly higher share of toppings. If you love crust, two smaller pizzas give you more of it.